


Brutal Motivation

by SierraNovembr



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Ballerina Nat, Ballet, Cigarettes, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, IronWidow - Freeform, Kissing, Morning After, Non-Graphic Torture, Tony Stark Bingo 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-29
Updated: 2020-02-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:53:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22947346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraNovembr/pseuds/SierraNovembr
Summary: Natasha and Tony both carry many scars.  It shouldn't be surprising that some of them match.
Relationships: Natasha Romanov/Tony Stark
Comments: 20
Kudos: 122
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	Brutal Motivation

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Flamegirl22 for the beta read.
> 
> For the ease of the bingo mods:  
> Title: Brutal Motivation  
> Collaborator Name: SierraNovembr  
> Card Number: 3065  
> Square Filled: K5 shared trauma  
> Ship/Main Pairing: Natasha/Tony (Ironwidow)  
> Rating: T  
> Major Tags: non-graphic torture, implied/referenced child abuse, ballerina Nat, angst and fluff  
> Summary: Natasha and Tony both carry many scars. It shouldn't be surprising that some of them match.  
> Word Count: 716

Natalia could feel the sweat gathering on her brow. The recorded piano notes plinked out into the room and she tried to concentrate on them, on anything that wasn’t the ache in her leg and hip as she drew her right foot up her left leg past her knee. She extended her right leg, tightening her core and, covertly, her grip on the barre. Developpe. Four counts.

She lowered her leg, sucking in a relieved breath before repeating the motion to the side and behind her. Once more to the side. Hold for four.

The music cut out abruptly and the mistress barked at them to hold. Natalia was already trembling, slightly. She stared at the tiny blonde bun in front of her. Svetlana’s hair grew so thin she could barely gather it in the required style at all. She did not look over at the mistress as the stooped old woman approached her.

She did not look as the mistress put her lit cigarette under Natasha’s leg. 

Her shaking leg. She was going to fail.

Despair lanced through her before she ruthlessly shut it out. There was no room here for that. She bit the inside of her cheek as her leg lowered enough to touch the burning ember. The old woman’s other hand shot out, viper quick, and clamped the top of her shin. Natasha let out a sharp breath as the cigarette was pressed into her calf, burning through her tights.

_Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Remember what happened to Olga last week. Don’t cry._

* * *

Tony was at the kitchen table with a still-steaming mug of coffee when Natasha ambled out of the bedroom. She grinned at the sight of his bare back, his shirt was currently draped around her own shoulders.

It was the only thing she’d put on after she managed to convince herself to leave his plush bed.

Tony was focused on his phone with a little frown, but when she got close enough he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her down into his lap. She went with a small smile, and accepted the chaste kiss he pressed to her lips. “Morning, Gorgeous.”

Natasha hummed and kissed him deeper, thrilling when he softened and let her into his mouth. She brought her hands up for a slow exploration of his shoulders, enjoying the flex of the muscles under his skin as his hands stroked her body in turn. Her fingers passed over an irregular spot several times before she consciously registered what she was feeling. She broke the kiss abruptly, leaning up on his lap to see, to confirm what she already knew.

“Nat?”

“Who - ” she broke off, floundering a little at just how confused and angry the small, round burn scar had made her.

Tony gathered her hand, taking it away from his shoulder and pressing it to his lips instead. “Sometimes Howard took a personal interest in what I was working on. He was a hard man to please.” 

Natasha thought he was a lucky man to already be deceased.

Something of her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Tony made a soothing little shushing sound and tried to pull her back into another kiss. She resisted and he quickly dropped his hands to rest lightly at her waist.

She twisted her leg up to rest her right foot up on his shoulder, giving him a clear view of her calf. The move earned her a quirked smile and a “Bendy!” before Tony took advantage of her position to lay soft kisses along her ankle. Natasha knew the moment he found her own scar.

“Huh.” Tony pet her calf. Natasha hesitated, trying to come up with something to say, but Tony, as usual, had no such trouble. “Well, guess we don’t need to go get those couple’s tattoos I had planned after all.”

Natasha stared at him for a moment before he cracked. His giggles spilled over her, his body shaking with them and it made her helpless against her own laughter. She dropped her foot and pressed into his embrace. His arms closed around her, comfortable and right.

Neither of them had had the easiest childhood, but scars were just scars, and they had plenty of time, now, to make happier memories together.


End file.
